A lion in the House

quality viewing heads up
wed and thursday night on PBS
I read about it in the WSJ and had tears in my eyes at article's end
and I'm supposed to be used to this

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/lioninthehouse/02_index.htm

“The only thing that was so hard to me is that I had to learn [to not] worry about what other people think because even though I look different, I know I wasn’t different. I was the same old person.”
––Al Fields

No, you get use to many things, but children with cancer is not one of them.

We use to ride up to the local children's hospital every year on our harleys, and the look in those kid's eyes would remind you what is important. They were all very sick, some dying, but for just that one day none of that mattered. They were thrilled to just sit on the bikes.

You have to admire the hell out of anyone who can suck it up enough to help these children in the medical profession. I would lose it.

I recall reading a story about a little girl, I think she was in the Middle East, who was born with facial defomities. She walked an obscene distance because she heard about volunteer doctors performing free plastic surgery. The way she was born she was considered a curse and had no hope of a decent life. She just wanted to beloved by her own family.

Just so heart breaking.

“At Christmas time they told us that she would not live ‘til the end of the year and we should go make funeral arrangements, so we did. I did. They didn’t tell my husband and I didn’t tell him either.”
—Judy Lougheed

“When the doctor originally diagnosed [Jen], there was no question that I was not going to be working for a while… and in about a month I wouldn’t have a paycheck…. I’ll go to Starbucks and see women that are dressed up in suits and I think, ‘Gosh, that used to be me.’”
—Beth Moone

“You know what I’m saying––you shouldn’t treat people like they less than you just cause you got money and they don’t. Everybody is created to be equal. Nobody is different. Nobody in this world is different.”
—Tim Woods

“You do what you have to do. You can either ignore it and go about your life’s business, or you can get in the middle of it. I chose to get in the middle of it, and I would do it again.”
—Dale Ashcraft

The extended Ashcraft family live in and around Florence, Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati. Justin Ashcraft was just nine years old when he was diagnosed with leukemia. He has been fighting his leukemia for ten years, longer than almost any other kid in the country, and recently graduated from high school. Now Justin’s leukemia has relapsed again and the only treatments left open to him are highly experimental. Once again he and his divorced parents, Debbie and Dale, face a difficult decision. Justin’s entire adolescence has been marred by his continuing illness and relentless treatments. His sister Jennifer donated bone marrow to him. Justin’s brother Adam struggles with depression he feels was brought on by Justin’s long battle with cancer, as well as with feelings about Justin’s care that conflict with his parents’. Through it all, Justin's attitude is deeply optimistic, tough and resilient.

“I really don’t dwell on things. I just like to push ahead.”
—Justin Ashcraft

4everhung said:

“I really don’t dwell on things. I just like to push ahead.”
—Justin Ashcraft

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that is a great damn quote

4everhung said:

“The only thing that was so hard to me is that I had to learn [to not] worry about what other people think because even though I look different, I know I wasn’t different. I was the same old person.”
––Al Fields

Click to expand...

“A whole hallway full of sick kids… I cried every night for all of ‘em. Not just for mine. I cried for all of ‘em.”
—Regina Fields